West Central Reporter

Two recent Facebook posts from Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) described his frustration with working on a state budget.

“6:00 a.m. Saturday finally off the floor and leaving the capital. Had some fireworks at the end when discussing the current status of crime in the State of Illinois," Friess posted on Facebook. "The chairman of a committee I am on stood up and called all Republicans racists. It was a low point for me here in Springfield. Republicans and Democrats should be able to have different opinions on policies without reverting to name calling. It is wrong and, to be honest, intellectually lazy.”

In an April 6 Facebook post, Friess gave constituents a peek into what the budget process was like. He posted a picture of himself posing with an enormous stack of paper. “So, if you want to know what the Illinois budget looks like, this is it. It is over 3000 pages and it get dropped by the Dems with absolutely no input from the Republicans. Moreover, EVERYONE, even the Dems are asked to vote on it without knowing what is in it. This is the definition of sad.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, the House of Representatives voted on the $46.5 billion budget just before 6 a.m. on April 9.

NBC5 Chicago reported that the budget included the following elements: a suspension of the state’s 1% sales tax on groceries through July 1, 2023; the state’s fuel tax will be frozen at 39 cents per gallon through Jan. 1, 2023; the earned income tax credit will be expanded, and homeowners will get up to $300 in rebates from their property taxes; also, families will get checks from the state - $50 per individual and $100 per child. Income limits of $200,000 per individual taxpayer, or $400,000 for joint followers, will be attached to the checks, according to officials.